Record-setter number one was a 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet Pininfarina SWB. With a sale price of €2,800,000 (~$3,799,600), it has become the priciest Superamerica ever.
Record-setter number two was a 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, coming in at €2,464,000 (~$3,343,648), an all-time high for a Birdcage.
The remaining three €2,000,000 busters were: 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta (€2,632,000 / ~$3,571,624); 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour de France (€2,352,000 / ~$3,191,664); 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder (€2,072,000 / ~$2,811,704).
The Sporting Classics of Monaco auction, according to RM, was a huge success. With registered bidders from 33 countries and a swarm of first timers (28% of registrations), the sale was watched by more than 3,000 people online.
Max Girardo, Managing Director for RM Europe, says, "Our Monaco sales results underscore RM's undisputed leadership position in the investment-grade segment of the collector car market...[We have] set a new standard for collector car auctions not only for the high quality of cars, but also for its impeccable presentation and client experience."
Scroll down for some drool-worthy (video) pics.
By Phil Alex
If someone were to buy his client's house (6,000 square feet, $4.4 million), he'd throw in a classic Ferrari F40 to sweeten the deal. Hagopian says, "Nothing is moving in this area. It's unprecedented."
Initially, the house had been sitting around at $3.9 million, but, as the New York Times puts it, Hagopian "borrowed a page from added-value marketing and bundled the two last month, while raising the house price."
The Italian supercar is a "high-mileage" model, with 734 miles on the odometer and "prior accident history". Whatever, it's an F40.
Even with the car thrown in, the house hasn't sold yet. Too bad, because Malibu, Pacific views, and an F40 sound like a pretty sweet package. If anyone's interested they'd better hurry. The F40 will only be part of the package until June (according to Hagopian).
By Phil Alex
Via: NYT
The Italian maker said in a press statement that the 700HP 599XX, which inspired the road-legal 599 GTO, is the first ever "production-derived sports car to break the 7-minute barrier on the 20.832 km Nordschleife circuit, lapping it in 6 min 58.16 sec."
For comparison, the Dodge Viper ACR and the Corvette ZR1 turned the 'Ring in 7:22.10 and 7:26.40 respectively, however, unlike the juiced-up Ferrari, both American sports cars are street legal.
In any case, the video of the 599XX lapping the Nurburgring is definitely worth 7 minutes of your time.
According to the plan, Ferrari will keep launching a new model every year to "sustain turnover and reinforce brand."
For 2010, Ferrari has already revealed the 599 GTO special - see photos and details here. It will be followed in the first half of 2011 by an all-new version of the 612 Scaglietti, codenamed F151. The new 2+2 seater is expected to debut the first implementation of the Italian firm's KERS hybrid drivetrain.
In the second half of 2011, Ferrari will launch a Spider version of its new 458 Italia supercar that will replace the F430 Spider. Expect to see the same mid-mounted 4.5-liter V8 engine with direct-injection that pushes out 570HP found on the tin top model.
2012 will also be a busy year for Ferrari as the Maranello firm will debut an all-new version of its 599 GTB coupe, codenamed F152, as well as a successor to its Enzo flagship supercar.
The following year, Ferrari will facelift its California hardtop-convertible and debut a hardcore Scuderia version of the 458 Italia.
The company said that Montezemolo will reveal more details at a press conference to be held this afternoon. The Vice Chairman of Fiat, John Elkann, and the CEO, Sergio Marchionne, will also be present at the conference.
According to an official statement from Fiat SpA, Montezemolo will remain a member of the Fiat Board of Directors and Chairman of Ferrari.
The company said that Montezemolo will reveal more details at a press conference to be held this afternoon. The Vice Chairman of Fiat, John Elkann, and the CEO, Sergio Marchionne, will also be present at the conference.
According to an official statement from Fiat SpA, Montezemolo will remain a member of the Fiat Board of Directors and Chairman of Ferrari.
By Phil Alex
Link: Ferrari / Configurator
Set to make its public debut at the Beijing Auto Show in China at the end of April, only 599 examples of the GTO will be built.
Billed as the company's fastest ever road car, the 599 GTO makes use of the 599XX's (Enzo-derived) tweaked 6.0-liter V12 engine that punches out 670-horsepower at 8,250 rpm with maximum torque of 620Nm (457 lb-ft) at 6,500 rpm. For comparison, the V12 delivers 700HP in the 599XX and 620HP in the standard 599 GTB.
Despite the increase in power over the 599 GTB Fiorano, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are both improve slightly to 17.5 lt/100km (13.4mpg US) and 411 g/km respectively.
Power is sent to the rear-wheels through the same six-speed sequential gearbox with lower 60 ms shift times and the possibility to make multiple downshifts found on the 599XX.
Ferrari announces a 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration time of just 3.35 seconds and a top speed over 335 km/h or 208mph.
More importantly, Maranello says that the 599 GTO lapped the Fiorano circuit in just 1min 24sec, or a second faster than the previous record set by the Enzo, making it the company's fastest ever road-car.
The 599 GTO inherits much of the weigh-saving measures employed in the 599XX track-racer including widespread use of composite materials, resulting in a dry weight of 1495 kg (3,295 lbs) or 84kg (185 lbs) less than the 599 GTB, and a weight-to-power ratio of just 2.23 kg/hp.
Ferrari sharpened the supercar's handling with the use of new springs and a stiffer rear antiroll bar as well as a second generation magnetorheological suspension control system (SCM2).
There's also a lighter , carbon ceramic braking system, again derived from the 599XX, that helps the GTO come to a halt from 100km/h (62mph) in just 32.5 meters.
Other changes include the improved aerodynamics with the addition of a new front spoiler that incorporates a separate lower wing, a new sill design with a more pronounced leading edge, a new double-curve rear diffuser and the tweaked underbody panels.
The 599 GTO also gets a new hood design with air-vents and a matte gray rooftop finish while it rides on new 20-inch alloy wheels shod in beefier tires size 285/30 up front and 315/35 at the rear.
As for the interior, Ferrari fitted the car with bespoke, longer carbon-fibre F1 paddles for easier use in high-speed driving, a pair of bucket sport sears and the so-called "Virtual Race Engineer", which is a system that monitors the status of the car and gives the driver immediate visibility of vehicle performance.
The Italian company did not release pricing on the 599 GTO, but a leaked document suggest that those interested will be looking at €267,136 (~$355,000) before taxes and options.
[UPDATE - Apparently the photos of the 599 GTO are the real deal as the head (sic...) of Ferrari's notoriously friendly legal department sent us an email requesting the removal of the pics on the premise that they were shot inside a private area, a.k.a. the Italian automaker's Maranello factory.]
As the world gets closer to the official reveal of Ferrari's 599 GTO, and just a short while after the price list was leaked, the internet has spewed out what appear to be pics of an official GTO show car.
Distinguishing features appear to include a new wheel design, duck tail spoiler and design cues straight off the 599XX (such as the matte black roof, extra cooling vents in the hood/fenders, angry rear diffuser and other aerodynamic bits). Too bad we can't see the face and driver's compartment. Anyway, we're sure those will show up soon enough.
The pictures come from the TeamSpeed member Jiaim, rumored to be located in France. Good job, chief, now sneak back in there and get front three-quarter and interior shots so we can see the rest.
- By Phil Alex
Source: Teamspeed , Via: World Car Fans
No official numbers have been released, but speculation points at around 650-700 horsepower and a significant weight reduction providing a much more intense driving experience than the 599 HGTE.
As for the option list, that's available below. A few highlights include €7,050 ($9,375) for colors from the classic's palette, €6,500 (~$8,600) for the "motor compartment" in carbon fiber, €6,000 (~$7,980) for stripes of any kind (GTO heritage or modern racing), and €5,800 (~$7,700) for metallic paint. Prices are listed before applicable richy-taxes and using exchange rates as of this posting.
If you laugh in the face of options and absurd spending, then you're in luck; those four prices top the list, meaning everything else is cheaper. Have a look and see for yourself.
- By Phil Alex
Via: Autogespot
Via: Autogespot
Also, his website mentions that John Malkovich (In the Line of Fire) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) are going to be in it, along with Ken Jeong (Señor Chang from Community).
Bay says, "We are going to shoot in LA, Chicago, Washington DC, Florida, Texas, Africa, Moscow, and China." Get your spy-shot cameras ready, people.
I'm thinking the Ferrari needs to be Chase (formerly a Testarossa) or Braver (formerly an F40). If not, it could just end up a badly-confused version of some other character I grew up with, like having ex-Porsche 935 Jazz being a thugged-out Pontiac Solstice (anyone else see his death in the first one as foreboding?).
If you have any thoughts on who else Ferrari's 458 could - or should - be, drop your ideas in the comments section below.
- By Phil Alex
Via: Michaelbay
Also, his website mentions that John Malkovich (In the Line of Fire) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) are going to be in it, along with Ken Jeong (Señor Chang from Community).
Bay says, "We are going to shoot in LA, Chicago, Washington DC, Florida, Texas, Africa, Moscow, and China." Get your spy-shot cameras ready, people.
I'm thinking the Ferrari needs to be Chase (formerly a Testarossa) or Braver (formerly an F40). If not, it could just end up a badly-confused version of some other character I grew up with, like having ex-Porsche 935 Jazz being a thugged-out Pontiac Solstice (anyone else see his death in the first one as foreboding?).
If you have any thoughts on who else Ferrari's 458 could - or should - be, drop your ideas in the comments section below.
- By Phil Alex
Via: Michaelbay
"Fernando Alonso was particularly impressed with the roominess offered by the GranCabrio, perfect for four adult passengers," says Maserati, which just like Ferrari, belongs to the Fiat Group.
That said, we might have been impressed by the Spanish pilot's choice if he wasn't driving for Ferrari...
"Fernando Alonso was particularly impressed with the roominess offered by the GranCabrio, perfect for four adult passengers," says Maserati, which just like Ferrari, belongs to the Fiat Group.
That said, we might have been impressed by the Spanish pilot's choice if he wasn't driving for Ferrari...
